Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1887-03-11
THE UNIVERSITY FARMERS CLASS.


The farmers class of the University met
for the closing lectures of the present
course, at the experiment station building,
Friday afternoon A very large mum
Der were present, and the commodioNs
lecture room was almost filled. The occa
sion was one of especial Importance as
the work of the experiment station for the
coming season was to be outlined and
arranged for. Prof. Cooke was to lecture
on this subject. to he followed by Pres-
dent Buckham in an address to the
class.
prof. Cooke spoke of the experiment sta
ton and its work. His opening remarks
were devoted to the work of the laboratory
of the station which he described somewhat
in detail, and stated that the results of its
work would be published and distributed
among the farmers of the State at the
close Of each year
The method of conducting the expert
ments in practical agricultural work was
then taken up Prof Cooke said that, as
the experiment station had no farm of its
own, the experiments outlined must nee
essarily, at first, be carried on upon the
farms of others, preferably those in the
vicinity of the station, so that the work
could be overlooked by himself and his
assistants. Work for the coming sea
son is to be conducted under two definite
heads: First, experiments TO deter
mine the relative value of fodder
plants on Vermont soil and sec
ond, experiments with fertilizers. The
| three following varieties of folders are to
be experimental with: The afalpha, the
COW. pea and the horse bean. The alfalpha
| is twice as concentrated as timothy. 1t is
peculiarly adapted to the clay soils of the
Champlain valley There are two kinds
of altalpha, the common and the sand or
| lucerne The latter Is little more hardy.
| I'y nj, ,triIi lao la IA
the trial one-fourth of an acre of land will
be sufficient. The seed should be sowed
| broadcast, 10 pounds to the acre.
The cow-pea belongs to the same family
as the alfalpha, but is not so hardy 1t
has been raised some in the south part of
the State. It's value is as green fodder,
soiling crop. 1t belongs to the clover
family, and is rich, concentrated feed. 1t
has been remarked that the whippoorwill
and clay varieties have done the best. 1t is
sowed in drills, three and one-half feet
apart, about 10 seed to the foot. This
crop has to be cultivated. 1t grows slowly
to begin with. but the growth by the md
die of September should fill up the space
| between the drills. Cut Just before the
frost. This crop increases the fertility
of the soil and chokes out weeds
1t takes about 30 days for the crop
The soil on which it does best seems to be
rather sandy loan. 1t does not do well
on heavy clay. Analysis of the roots and
vines shows that this variety contains
phosphoric acid 5.6S, magnesia l0.3S lime
1913 and potash 3O.39. Potash IS the dom
mating principle in this crop. We have in
the Champlain Valley large portion of
land lacking in phosphoric acid and rich
in potash so that the land is peculiarly
suited to the cow-pea. For the trial OF
this one tenth of an acre will be sufficient.
The horse-bean is best sowed together
| x.-it Il hait, hing
els of oats to the acre and "A quarts of
horsebeans. If the horse bean is to be
raised by itself, it should be planted in
drills, the same as the cow-pea. These
three are the three fodder plants which
we want to try on the farms OF the State
the coming summer.
We wish also to make some tests with
fertilizers. OF The elements of the soil
obtained in fertilizers, only in the
case of phosphoric acid is there a
wide. range of price according to
the form in which it is obtained. In
commercial fertilizers it costs aboutl2
cents a pound. In the insoluble, raw
form it can be obtained at much less cost,
about four cents pound. We wish to
try this year some experiments with the
undissolved form, to see if it can be pro
fitably used. This will have to be tested
in the regular plot system of experimental
ton, using plots of one-tenth of an acre.
For corn and potatoes only the soluble
phosphoric acid will do; but there is a
crop in this State for which the nsoluble
phosphoric acid can be made available,
and that is the hay crop The experiments
will be tried, then, on permanent grass
land, and will necessarily occupy more
than Il single year. The plots must be one
rod wide and IL rods long, separated by d
margin of three feet. To make the com
plete test you must leave some plots un
fertiliZed.
There are two sources of insoluble phOs
phoric acid in the market, the South Caro-
lima rock and the comeback. The formel
is the cheaper. The experiments will be
made, however, with both of these forms
separately. In addition to this we wisl
to make experiments on which both o
these forms shall be combined, and a thirC
series in which both of them shall be mix
ed with plaster This is to be done OF
permanent grass land. 1t would be use
less to try it on hoed crops. These eXperl
ments will not interfere with the use o
manure from the stable, if uniformly ap
piled, though it would be better not Il
have any fertilizer except the insolub
phosphoric acid.
There is another experiment which
should like to see tried, and that is the us
of cotton seed meal as a fertilizer. If tn
experiment were tried, it should be trle'
on permanent, grass land, But farmer
who have stock had BETTER of course, feet
the cotton meal and use it in the form o
manure.
} Prof, Cooke then spoke of the passage o
the Hatch bill, giving $4,000 annually t
; each State for an experiment station
e This appropriation, he said, will not b
, available until the first of October next
1 and therefore our work the coming sum
mer must be upon the farms of lndlvldu
; ais. But we shall thus obtain goo'
e start, and he enabled to enter upon on
= more extended work more lntelligently
4; Next winter the bill will enable us TO d
q some work in stock feeding and by tina
= time, or before, the station will be able t
4 lay down the work for the winter.
!, The following replies were made to Ell
: quiries Cow peas are cut with mower
d usually. Cutting kills the cow-pea, Crop
for experimental purposes must be Welgi
ed. From IA bushel TO bushel and one
fourth of COW peas is used tothe acre. IN
/. station furnishes the fertilizer and tn
seed for experiments free. The crops al
- to be weighed when dry. Full direction
:, for all these experiments will be prlnte
). and distributed.